flipNavettes perfumed with orange blossom
Navettes perfumed with orange blossom
Why this dish? Inspired by the navettes of Provence, these small dry boat-shaped biscuits accompanied coffee and the long tables of the Midi dear to Daudet. Their sweetness of orange blossom brings the sweet note of the Provençal table, and their long shelf life makes them the cookie to dip by the fireside.
Small dry golden biscuits, boat-shaped, perfumed with orange blossom. Very little water, long keeping: they are stored for weeks in a tin and dipped in coffee or sweet wine.
After the aïoli and the pitcher of wine, when the coffee steams, we bring out the tin of navettes. Little golden boats, hard under the tooth, they smell of orange blossom like a Provençal garden in May. We dip them, we crunch them, we talk another hour. My word, they keep so well that you always find one forgotten at the bottom of the tin, and that is one more small joy.
- •Wheat flour — one pound (base)
- •Sugar — half a pound (sweetness)
- •Eggs — two (binder)
- •Orange blossom water — a small glass (signature flavor)
- •Mild olive oil or butter — a little (tenderness and preservation)
Navettes perfumed with orange blossom
Small dry golden biscuits, boat-shaped, perfumed with orange blossom. Very little water, long keeping: they are stored for weeks in a tin and dipped in coffee or sweet wine.
Why this dish? Inspired by the navettes of Provence, these small dry boat-shaped biscuits accompanied coffee and the long tables of the Midi dear to Daudet. Their sweetness of orange blossom brings the sweet note of the Provençal table, and their long shelf life makes them the cookie to dip by the fireside.
After the aïoli and the pitcher of wine, when the coffee steams, we bring out the tin of navettes. Little golden boats, hard under the tooth, they smell of orange blossom like a Provençal garden in May. We dip them, we crunch them, we talk another hour. My word, they keep so well that you always find one forgotten at the bottom of the tin, and that is one more small joy.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wheat flour — one pound (base)
- Sugar — half a pound (sweetness)
- Eggs — two (binder)
- Orange blossom water — a small glass (signature flavor)
- Mild olive oil or butter — a little (tenderness and preservation)
Ingredients
- Flour — 250 g (base)
- Sugar — 100 g (sweetness)
- Egg — 1 whole + 1 yolk (for glaze) (binder and glaze)
- Orange blossom water — 3 tbsp (signature flavor)
- Soft butter (or mild olive oil) — 40 g (tenderness)
- Salt — 1 pinch (balance)
Method
- Mix the flour, sugar, and salt; add the egg, butter, and orange blossom water.
- Knead into a firm, smooth dough, let rest 30 min.
- Shape into logs, cut into sections, and roll into small pointed boats, slit on top with a knife.
- Brush with egg yolk and bake 15–20 min at 180 °C until golden.
- Let cool: they harden as they dry and keep for several weeks in a tin.
How it was made : Navettes, dry boat-shaped biscuits, are an ancient Provençal tradition (especially in Marseille, linked to Candlemas). Their low water content gave them a long shelf life: they were kept in reserve to accompany coffee throughout the winter.
The contemporary twist : Present them standing upright in a glass jar like a little fleet — and serve with a glass of homemade orange wine.
Sources : J.-B. Reboul, La Cuisinière provençale (1897)
Alphonse Daudet · Charactorium
